For a friend’s birthday dinner, I recently made these stuffed peppers, which were paired with an asparagus and mushroom frittata and went well with some red wine. Even though 1) my inattentiveness resulted in the peppers’ overcaramelization in their first trip to the oven and 2) I accidentally left out the capers I had planned to include in the stuffing, I still thought it turned out decent. The scallions provided both an onion-y and grassy edge and the (canned) tuna added some texture and saved it from being a vegetarian-friendly dish, which is always a plus . Perhaps if all goes as planned next time, the result will be closer to the fabulousness I had originally envisioned.

Tuna, scallions, and couscous-stuffed peppers
– Serves 3-4 ppl –

Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped
1 can tuna, with oil reserved
3 or 4 bell peppers
optional: asiago cheese, cubed or grated

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine couscous with boiling water and a generous amount of salt in a large heat proof bowl, cover, and let sit for 5-10 mins. Remove the tops off peppers. After removing any seeds from the bottom halves, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 15-20 mins in a baking dish, then remove from oven and let cool while preparing the filling. Optional: clean, de-stem, and remove seeds from pepper tops, and dice whatever is edible.  Fluff couscous and add the scallions, tuna, olive oil, and diced peppers (if using) to the bowl.  Combine thoroughly and season to taste. Spoon filling into the peppers, adding the grated or cubed cheese if desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.